The Game
by Aya1
Summary: Heero goes undercover to infiltrate a deadly fighting tournament but comes across some unexpected obstacles. [Yaoi, 1x2]
1. Part One

Title: The Game  
Author: Aya  
Pairings: 1x2x1 (brief 2xOC, past 1xR)  
Warnings: Violence, Language, Citrus  
Timeline: Post EW  
  
The Game   
Part One  
  
  
The building looked like just another warehouse on just another crime infested street,   
in just another crime infested part of America. As the years had turned from AD to AC,   
time hadn't been kind to the US of A and many cities which had once been thriving hubs   
of entertainment and life, had become cesspools of crime, rape and theft. The area in   
question wasone of those places. Once one of the richest cities in the country, Chicago   
was now the playground of one of the most successful and one of the cruelest  
underground leaders in the Earth sphere; Quinton Tech. The aforementioned  
building was one of the many clubs that he owned.   
  
Perhaps club isn't the correct term. Society? Ring? The adjectives could go on  
but they still wouldn't quite describe what it was. There were no drunk half-naked   
teenage girls paying for their martinis with fake I.Ds, and mommy and  
daddy's credit cards. There was no bumper room where drunk couples could go and  
screw to their heart's content. There was however, blood stains, a huge barbed  
wire covered cage and a crowd of blood thirsty, power hungry punks at the Meat  
Market.   
  
The cage sat in the middle of the large room and the crowd surrounded it,  
jeering and cheering as the two competitors circled each other inside the cage.  
Several yards above the cage and the crowd, were exclusive glass boxes where the  
richer and more powerful spectators placed bets on who would win. As a young  
blonde man in the ring was literally cut to pieces by his larger and more  
vicious opponent, a dark figure made its way around the crowd; attempting to  
get a closer view of the ring. Dark blue eyes darted up to the glass boxes and  
the man examined each face before he turned his gaze back to the ring. "He's not  
here."   
  
A frustrated groan could be heard from the earpiece he wore and the man set his  
mouth in a thin line. "Damnit Yuy, I thought your source said he was definitely  
going to be up there."   
  
"Yeah, well he's not," Heero hissed loud enough to draw a few stares. He gnashed  
his teeth at the onlookers and they turned away. "There are several tier-one  
personalities here but Tech isn't one of them."   
  
"You know what this means, don't you Heero?" Wufei asked. The regret and  
frustration was evident in his voice.   
  
"Yes. I'm prepared to do whatever it takes, Wufei. You know that."   
  
Wufei sighed heavily. "If the situation changes I'll see you back at headquarters,   
but until then... you know what to do. No contact until you're in, but as soon --"   
  
"--as I make my move, I call for back up immediately because you'll have people  
on the island. Yeah Wufei, I know the mission data."   
  
"I'm just worried. This is the first time you're going into deep cover without a  
partner."   
  
The ice in Heero's eyes didn't melt at all when he heard the concerned tone of  
his friend's voice. "If I don't contact you in two days, you'll know I'm dead.  
Until then, I have a job to do. Yuy out." He ripped out the ear piece and  
dropped it all in one quick movement. He crushed it under the heel of one of his  
combat boots without breaking his stride across the dark room.   
  
Heero watched indifferently as a housekeeper removed the body of the blonde man  
from the ring and began to plot when he would make his move. He wasn't new to  
the Meat Market but it would be his first time fighting and he had to be sure  
that he was noticed by the major players if he was going to be chosen for The  
Game. He still hadn't come to a decision on what to do when something in the  
ring caught his eye.   
  
A new challenger was entering the cage and the crowd was warming to him quickly.  
He was tall and lanky with extremely long black hair that was woven into a  
single braid. Round violet eyes were smudged with black make up of some kind and  
war paint of sorts decorated his face with two lines on each cheek. He was clad  
in incredibly scruffy clothes; worn black pants that seemed to have been cut off  
raggedly at the lower part of his leg and scuffed black boots lined with metal  
covered his feet. A too small, ragged t-shirt covered the top of his wiry frame  
and black and silver suspenders connected to the baggy pants with make shift  
metal hooks. The man bounced on the balls of his feet and grinned at his  
opponent; the same opponent who had just ripped a man to shreds.   
  
Heero's eyes narrowed to slits and he clenched his jaw as he watched the too  
skinny form jump up and down lightly as he taunted the other fighter. What the  
hell was he doing here?   
  
Heero grabbed the shoulder of a nearby housekeeper. "That man in the ring. Who  
is he?"   
  
The housekeeper didn't seem concerned with the rough treatment he was getting  
but jerked away from the taller man. "You must be new if you don't know who that  
is," He replied shrewdly. His beady eyes darted over Heero's form and he  
smirked. "Nope, never seen you here before. Not in the cage anyway." He leered  
at Heero's tattoo covered biceps and licked at his chops. "Betcha would do  
mighty well though."   
  
Heero sneered at him. "Well?"   
  
The housekeeper shrugged casually. "His name is Duo."   
  
Heero cast a dark glare at the crowd who was currently chanting Duo's name. "I  
figured that out for myself, Dwarf."   
  
The housekeeper drew himself up indignantly but answered. "He's been fighting  
here for almost a year now. He's a favorite among the higher ups and among the  
regulars." He smirked lecherously. "Easy on the eyes too."   
  
Heero growled low in his throat but released the smaller man, his eyes now  
trained on Duo. What the hell was going on?   
  
A crackling sound came from the speakers that lined the room and a deep, male  
voice boomed out over the crowd. "Well ladies and punks, it's almost the last  
fight of the night and we have quite a match set up for you here. Rick the  
Shredder who has been undefeated tonight is up against the crowd favorite, Duo  
Maxwell. The winner of this match and next match will decide who is chosen to  
participate in this years Game. Enjoy!"   
  
A tall, punky blue haired woman entered the cage and smirked at each fighter.  
Her skin was so pale that it almost glowed in the dim room and the mock henna  
tattoos on her arms and legs seemed to glitter under the flickering lights. She  
held a large platter with an assortment of weapons displayed and sashayed up to  
Duo with a flirtatious smile. Duo's lip lifted in a half smirk and he shook his  
head before making a comment that appeared to enrage the Shredder. The woman  
laughed and blew him a kiss before quickly exiting the cage. The fight was about  
to begin.   
  
"What else can you tell me about him?" Heero demanded as he watched Duo dance  
around the ring, avoiding the Shredder's stiff movements with ease.   
  
The housekeeper's eyes did not leave Duo. "What the hell do I know? I just clean  
up the dead bodies those pigs leave behind when they win a match," He scoffed  
with a note of bitterness in his voice.   
  
A strong hand grasped the housekeeper's scrawny neck and squeezed. "I'm sure you  
know something." The words were spoken in dangerous tones and icy eyes pinned  
the small man to the spot.   
  
The housekeeper swallowed hard and shifted uncomfortably, fear finally piercing   
his normally cold heart. "Rumor has it that he was in the wars, but no one knows for sure  
because he mostly keeps to himself."   
  
Heero's eyebrows shot up at that bit of information. That seemed unlike the Duo  
he knew.   
  
"People say that before he started coming to the fights he would hire himself  
out as a mercenary and some say he still does when he doesn't make money with  
the fights." One small shoulder lifted in a half assed shrug and the man  
smirked, showing rotten teeth. "And then there are those who say he used to  
whore himself."   
  
Heero's eyes flew to the housekeeper and he sneered. "That's a lie."   
  
The man snickered, spittle flying from between his broken teeth. "It's just what  
I heard, not what I said." His beady eyes flicked over Heero again and he  
flashed another lecherous smile. "You two were lovers, no?"   
  
"What makes you say that?" Heero asked, shifting his gaze back to where Duo was  
ducking out of the way as the Shredder swung his huge machete forward. The  
longhaired fighter smirked and head butted the larger man, waiting until he fell  
backwards before kicking the machete out of one meaty hand.   
  
"You're his type," was the smooth reply.   
  
A muscle in his jaw ticked but Heero kept up the disinterested tone. "And what's  
that?"   
  
"Rumor has it that he likes his lovers pretty, but his men are usually  
dangerous. I hear he likes it rough," The housekeeper rasped, eyes raking over  
Duo in a way that made Heero's skin crawl.   
  
"Shut your mouth, Dwarf," He growled and clenched his jaw.   
  
The housekeeper snickered, but obeyed. He didn't know what the stranger had  
under that long coat and he sure didn't want to be the one to find out.   
  
The Shredder was bleeding from several places on his body but Duo still remained  
unharmed. He was still bouncing around in a boxer's stance, much to the  
frustration of his opponent. The Shredder lunged towards him in an  
uncoordinated attack and Duo took the opportunity to slam his knee into the  
man's solar plexus. The Shredder reeled back, blood flying from his lips and Duo  
sneered before sending a foot flying towards the man's throat; crushing his  
windpipe with ease.   
  
Heero's hands clenched into white knuckled fists and he fought the urge to throw  
up as bile rose in his throat. He watched as the Shredder collapsed in a heap  
and choked on his own blood; dying moments later. The Preventer watched as Duo  
toed at the fallen man and shrugged carelessly before turning towards the  
cheering crowd. He gave a lopsided smirk and kept his gaze directed at the glass  
booths as he was declared the winner of the match.   
  
The speakers crackled to life and the same voice rang out with an amused snort.  
"I don't think anyone here is surprised at the outcome of this match. After all  
Duo has been virtually undefeated since he graced us with his presence a year  
ago."   
  
In the ring, Duo stared up at the glass boxes with surprisingly emotionless  
eyes. Heero's gaze flicked over the familiar, impish features as he searched for  
some sign of pleasure at the praise he was receiving, but Duo showed none. It  
was like looking into the face of a dead man.   
  
"So who's the lucky man to challenge the seemingly unbeatable? Any takers?" The  
deep voice cooed over the speaker.   
  
Heero looked over the crowd and saw that all of the people present were staring  
at Duo with unease. They were all obviously reluctant to challenge him.   
  
"No one?"   
  
Heero began shrugging off his long coat.   
  
"If no one can challenge him, Duo wins by default and goes to The Game," The  
voice warned.   
  
Heero shoved the coat at the housekeeper and strode towards the cage, climbing  
the iron staircase and entering as all eyes turned to him. There was silence in  
the Meat Market and for a moment he didn't think they would let him fight.   
  
"Well, a new challenger and a new face has entered the cage."   
  
Duo turned towards him and for a moment, Heero froze. A million different  
questions flashed through his mind and he doubted this whole idea; cursing  
himself for getting in the damned cage and letting his feelings lead him. What  
if Duo blew his cover? What if they wouldn't even let him fight? What if... what  
if... he killed Duo? Shit, what if Duo killed him?  
  
Violet eyes focused on him and for a moment there was nothing, but then  
recognition sparked in those wide eyes and Duo's lip curled up in a snarl. Heero  
could see the questions in that glare but at the moment he wasn't in the  
position to answer them. The anger radiating off Duo was unmistakable and it  
left Heero wandering if Duo was still carrying that old grudge against him.  
  
"It's the last fight of the night, folks and this one will decide the lucky  
participant of the Game. Place your bets now and enjoy!"  
  
As the blue haired girl entered the ring with her array of weapons, neither  
fighter looked at her; instead opting to stare at each other. Duo's gaze flicked  
over his body and he smirked. He appeared to find Heero's undercover garb  
amusing. Apparently he had regained his composure because now Heero couldn't  
read his emotions at all. It used to be so easy... just telling what Duo was  
thinking by looking into his eyes or reading his body language; but now...  
obviously things were different.  
  
  
-To Be Continued...  
  
Note: *cough* Sorry for the corny bad guy names.   
I always feel like I'm writing the script for a   
John Carpenter movie when I name my evil characters 


	2. Part Two

Warnings: Violence, Language, Angst, Barely there lime  
Disclaimer: If I owned anything I wouldn't be wasting my time writing about it  
Note: As usual, coherency has been made possible by my wonderful beta, Sunhawk ^_^

Part Two

All sound in the room seemed to become hushed and everything darkened around the two opponents as their eyes locked and they both settled into fighting stances. While Duo opted to bounce on the balls of his feet and arrange himself much in the way that old American boxing champs would before a fight, Heero was completely stationary; relying on his martial arts experience rather than old fashioned street fighting. He narrowed his eyes and tried to tell himself that the dangerous glitter in Duo's eyes was for show, for the crowd, but the longer he stared into them, the more he was sure that Duo just wanted to kick his ass. 

He heard the man on the loud speaker announcing that the fight was beginning but it still hadn't fully registered that he was about to face off in a fight to the death with his ex-friend until said friend slugged him.

Everything came rushing back. Once again the sounds of the crowd were as loud as ever and the smell of sweat and fresh blood invaded his nostrils. Heero cursed himself for ever getting in the ring and cursed Duo for hitting him so hard. He regained his footing and ducked as Duo swung another punch that was directed at his face. 

Duo fought aggressively, attacking Heero with everything he had. His first punches missed their mark and it seemed to enrage him further. His attacks were becoming wild and uncoordinated, sloppy and very unlike the calculating fighter that he usually was. His face was set in a severe grimace and he looked just about as furious as Heero had ever seen him.

Heero, however, was doing his best to avoid having to physically attack Duo in any way. He could tell that Duo was going for the jugular but he was reluctant to harm the longhaired man. He did know that this could only go on for so long and if he didn't start doing *something* soon, Duo would get the upper hand and the crowd would get suspicious of why the hell he had gotten in the ring in the first place.

It was only when Duo kicked him in the side that Heero actually fell to the stained mat in agony. As pain blossomed behind his eyes, anger began to radiate from his body. That had been low. He had an old wound from the wars, a deep stab wound that had gone untreated and had gotten so badly infected that the spot was still tender to this day. Duo knew that and had gone for it. The knowledge of that was enough to make Heero *want* to fight back.

One booted foot swung towards his face and Heero rolled out of the way, jumping to his feet in a movement that was fluid and graceful. He reared back and slammed his fist into Duo's face with all the power he had. The smaller man fell into the side of the cage and the first emotion besides anger shone in his eyes: shock. One lip curled in a snarl and Duo flung himself at Heero, limbs a flurry of movement as he gave the Japanese man everything he had. 

Heero tried to block as many blows as he could, but Duo was too fast for him. Another well-aimed punch came flying at his jaw, but this time Heero caught the smaller hand in his own. He squeezed the fist hard, using Duo's own momentum to shove him back against the barbed wire that surrounded the cage. A groan tore itself from Duo's lips as he collided with the twisted edges of the cage, but he didn't stay down for long. He spun back towards Heero, his knees bending slightly as he jumped in the air with ease; executing a perfect drop kick and effectively slamming his steel-toed boot into Heero's face.

For a moment the world spun and the crowd was a kaleidoscope of blurred faces as Heero's eyes rolled in his skull. He spiraled backwards, hands flailing slightly as he lost his balance. Duo rammed into him and they both went crashing to the mat; arms locked around each other as Duo's slender hands found their way around Heero's neck. He squeezed tightly and Heero choked, hands reaching up to claw at the iron like grip. When he couldn't pry them off his neck; he resorted to the only thing he could manage and bit Duo's fingers savagely. 

The ex-Deathscythe pilot yanked his hands away and scuttled backwards; glaring for all he was worth as he watched the other man get to his feet. His eyes were now a mix of many different emotions but whatever he was feeling, it obviously wasn't going to stop him from attacking Heero.

The normally boisterous crowd was in a hushed state of awe as they watched. Normally matches in The Cage only lasted for ten to fifteen minutes tops before someone was killed in a rather distasteful way. This, however, was something quite new. The crowd favorite fighting against a mysterious new opponent who obviously had the skill to match him and put up a damn good fight. It just had never been done before. Newbies to the Meat Market were usually dead before they landed their first punch, and if they did survive a fight they only lived out the week before falling to the champion.

Minutes ticked by and before long both of them were bruised and bloody, sweat dripping down their faces although neither of them appeared to be tiring any time soon. Heero knew that it was too late to stop and that he either had to get Duo down, or be killed. He had Duo pinned against the mat and was staring desperately into the blood smeared face; cursing himself for what he was about to do, when suddenly the speakers crackled to life and the spell that had transfixed the crowd was broken.

"The match is over!" The voice announced.

A series of boos and jeers were heard among the crowd and Heero looked up in confusion. Duo shoved him away and shakily got to his feet.

"It's been decided that this match is a draw!"

More boos and curses were shouted in the direction of the boxes.

"This has been the most... exciting match that the Meat Market has seen in awhile and it would be quite a shame for both of these talented, young men to *not* attend The Game."

Relief spread through out Heero, but he didn't know if it was because he was accomplishing his mission or because he wouldn't have to seriously hurt Duo. Maybe it was both. He looked over at the other man and blinked back his surprise at the dark glare he was receiving. He had hoped that Duo would be a little pleased that they wouldn't have to kill each other, but Duo looked even more pissed off than he had earlier. If that was even possible. They stared at each other and Heero only half listened to the rest of the commentary. He knew all he needed to know. The Game was in two weeks and it was on Hart Island in New York City. The only thing he needed to worry about in the mean time, was Duo.

"Fuck you, Yuy," Duo snarled angrily and stormed out of the cage, pushing through the crowd as he hastily exited the club.

Heero stared after him and decided against immediately following. Instead he pretended to look interested in what the announcer was saying and only left the cage after the crowd's attention had left him.

He strode over to the same housekeeper and grabbed one scrawny arm. "Do you know where he lives?"

The housekeeper grinned up at him. "Nice fight, you two prob'ly have a great sex--"

Heero shook him violently, cutting off the rest of the sentence. "Where does he live?"

The dwarfish man heaved an exaggerated sigh. "He's from Southie like most of the idiots who come here. S'far as I know he has a place in Trumbull Park, over on Bensley Ave." The black eyes peered at Heero curiously. "If I was you, I'd take a few weapons before headin' off in that area. Worse than it is around here, but I'm sure ya can--" 

Heero didn't stick around to hear the rest of the warning. He released the man and grabbed his coat from where it had fallen on the floor. He was going to talk to Duo whether the stubborn asshole liked it or not.

****

A normal person might have been disturbed by the state of the neighborhood, but Heero wasn't exactly a normal person and had seen far worse in his time as a soldier. He bypassed the broken street lamps, graffiti covered buildings and garbage littered streets without giving them a backwards glance. There was obviously gang activity in the area and their tag names and slogans were written on any surface available. Despite all of this, the streets were practically deserted except for a small group sitting on the stoop of one of the buildings and an older man who was fiddling with an old model, hydrogen powered car. 

Heero stopped at the corner and looked up at the rows of brick buildings. The buildings were obviously extremely old because no one built with brick anymore and they would have been an attractive link to the past if they weren't covered by spray paint. 

He was on Bensley Avenue, but didn't know where to go from there. He looked at the old man and began to walk in his direction. "Excuse me?"

The man's head snapped up and his eyes flitted over Heero quickly. He looked down at the car, towards the group on the stoop and then back to Heero again. "What is it? I don't have any money." His eyes shot to the group again and he shifted uncomfortably.

One dark eyebrow rose. "Do you know where Duo Maxwell lives?"

The man seemed to get even more nervous. "Why? Are you going to kill him?" Another look was shot in the direction of the group.

"Um. No."

"Do you want him to do a job for you?"

Heero stared at the man for a moment. He thought back to what the housekeeper had told him and felt slightly sick. Maybe Duo really was a mercenary. "I just want to talk to him. I knew him a long time ago."

The man shifted and wrung his hands together. "Third building on the left. He has the only apartment on the fourth floor. But you didn't hear that from me, got it? Not from me."

Heero nodded and looked at the building in question. "Thanks." He dug in his pocket and pulled out a few bills, tossing them on the hood of the car. "Don't smoke it."

The man snatched the money quickly and shot him a small grin, before going back to work on his car.

Heero looked over at the stoop and saw that the group was gone. He frowned for a moment and looked around, but shrugged it off when they weren't anywhere in sight. He wasn't there to worry about petty gang activity. He had bigger things on his mind. He strode down the street and approached the building, deciding against going through the front. He walked around the side and hopped the metal gate that led to a backyard, eyes seeking out the windows on the fourth floor. When he got to the south side of the building he caught sight of a light shining through one of the windows. Without thinking twice Heero began to climb the fire escape, feet moving silently on the rusty, metal stairs. The bruises and cuts from the fight were still fresh but he ignored them; it wasn't anything he hadn't dealt with in the war.

When he reached the window, he ducked down and flattened himself against the side of the building. He could hear low sounds coming from the apartment and he quickly figured out what they were as an almost painful feeling blossomed in his chest. 

Bed springs, creaking noisily as the headboard knocked against a wall. Low, feminine moans and the wet sound of skin hitting skin. 

Heero closed his eyes briefly and groaned inwardly. Great. Just what he needed to hear.

__

Slender fingers gripping tanned skin. Muscular thighs wrapping themselves around a narrow waist. The feel of tight, moist muscles surrounding his erection. Finger nails scraping across an already scarred back. Wet moans spiraling into wild cries of pleasure.

Heero's eyes snapped open and he gasped softly, hands tightening around the railing; ignoring the feel of the old metal bending under his grip. Where the hell had that come from? He really didn't need this shit right now!

The low rumble of a deep, male voice drifted out the window and the odd feeling in his chest grew as he heard Duo's unmistakable voice. He couldn't believe the other man still had this effect on him. Even after two years..

"--wonderful as usual," The female voice purred, satisfaction evident in her tone. She sounded... familiar.

Duo didn't respond, but the sound of him flicking a lighter could be heard through the screenless window. Heero could hear the soft padding of bare feet on the creaky wood floor, followed by a low sigh.

The bed springs creaked again and another set of footsteps began to move across the floor. "What's wrong tonight? You ain't yourself, baby,"

Duo snorted softly. "Like you know me enough to say that?"

Heero's lip quirked and he shook his head. Same old sarcastic Duo.

The girl sighed softly and recognition sparked in Heero. It was the blue haired girl from The Meat Market. "So..." She trailed off, obviously struggling for some kind of conversation. "How about that Newbie tonight, huh? He was some kind of fighter!"

"Yeah. Some kind." The words were spoken in a cold, emotionless voice and Heero winced. Yep. Still holding the grudge. Even after two years.

"The Regs are usually sloppy compared to the way you get down, but this guy was somethin' else! And that kung fu shit he was doing... Geez."

Heero could hear something tapping rapidly against a wooden surface.

"And the *body* on that guy!"

The tapping grew louder.

"I've never seen someone better than you in The Cage before to---"

Something clattered to the floor. "If you're so impressed, why don't you go fuck *him*!?" Duo snarled coldly.

Heero tensed.

"I-- Duo, I didn't mean nothin' by it! I was just--" The girl stammered desperately.

"Get out."

"But Duo--!"

"I said GET THE FUCK OUT!" Footsteps stomped across the floor and the girl gasped as she stumbled backwards. "Take your shit--" The sound of the door opening and cloth hitting the floor. "--and get out of my face!" The girl cried out and then a door slammed. 

There was silence for several moments and Heero began to seriously reconsider confronting Duo so soon. He really wasn't in the mood to get--

"You can come out now, Heero."

Shit.

The Preventer sighed softly and steeled himself for whatever Duo was going to throw at him. He moved out of the shadows and slowly climbed into the window; eyeing the other man warily. Duo was leaning against a small, battered vanity dresser and smoking a cigarette. His slender body was covered by a sheen of sweat and every muscle in his body seemed to be coiled tightly. He wore no shirt and the same baggy pants. His pale skin was a mottle of bruises and jagged cuts. The worst of his injuries appeared to be on his face judging from the deep gash above his right eyebrow and the ragged wound on his cheek. Heero winced, momentarily feeling guilty, but quickly consoled himself with the knowledge that he had at least two bruised ribs, a busted lip and enough bruises to most likely cover his entire upper body.

"Hi." Heero said lamely.

Duo glared at him. "Yeah."

"Uh. Nice place."

The pissed off look in his eyes began to steadily grow. "What are you doing slumming in this part of the world, King Yuy? Palace life stifling you?"

Heero sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Do we have to have this conversation? It's been two years."

Duo scoffed and took a long drag off his cigarette. "Yeah. Two years and I still can't stand the sight of your self-righteous face."

Heero fought the urge to flinch; instead keeping up his nonchalant attitude. "I thought you would have gotten over this by now."

"You thought wrong, buddy."

"That was selfish of you, Duo--"

"Selfish!?"

"--disappearing like that, making everyone worry. The others still aren't sure that you're not dead. Quatre and Hilde--"

"To *hell* with Quatre and Hilde and all the rest of them, including you! I wanted to get the hell away from you people! I wanted to get away from the fucking expectations and disapproving looks when I didn't reach them!"

"No one expected anything from you, Duo." 

"Bullshit. None of you knew me during the war. You all just expected me to mold myself into the cookie cutter fucking image of ex-war hero that you wanted me to be. You thought I would go along with anything you did or said, just so that everyone would be happy. You all thought wrong!"

"This is not what I came here for!" Heero growled, frustration evident in his voice.

"Then why did you come? To step on me again? To humiliate me in front of new people in my new life? To once again show the world that Heero fucking Yuy is better than me!?"

"Life?!" Heero exploded. "You call this a life?! Fighting like an animal in a fucking cage? Letting people bet on you like you're in a goddamned horse race? Killing and selling your body--" He broke off abruptly and clenched his hands into fists. He hadn't meant to say that. He hadn't meant to start this argument yet again.

"What did you say to me?" Duo asked coldly. He had an ugly, black look in his eyes.

The Japanese man sighed and wiped a hand across his face. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."

"Like hell you didn't."

"Look. I don't know what you're doing here, I don't know why you're doing what you're doing--"

"You don't know and you won't know. So kiss off and go find someone else make you feel better about your own pathetic life. Go home to Relena and you can both have a wonderful discussion about the gutter rat Duo and his illegal activities and maybe you can even send Wufei to arrest me." 

Heero rolled his eyes. "I'm not with Relena anymore."

Duo blinked and for a moment the anger was gone, replaced by surprise. "Not with Relena?"

"I haven't been with her for eight months now."

A smirk began to creep up on Duo's handsome face. "Finally realize you couldn't fit in her cute little peace wrapped bubble?"

Heero smiled wryly. "Actually I think she figured that out before I did."

Thin eyebrows shot up. "*She* broke up with *you*?!" Duo nearly choked on his laughter.

Heero nodded. "Yeah. Glad to see that it amuses you so much."

The smile faded and the laughter died. "Did you think I was gonna feel bad for you? You dumped me because of her and now she dumped you because of her own common sense. Go Relena."

The taller man scowled at Duo. "Go Relena? I thought you hated her."

Duo snorted and pulled another cigarette from his pack. "Everyone thinks I have something against her. You all thought I was jealous of her cuz she had the money, the sophistication.. And then, well then she had you. Believe it or not, I never had nothin' against the girl. She did what she had to do and if the guy I had been wanting for four years jumped in my bed, I woulda took the chance too."

"I didn't jump in her bed! Why the hell do you keep saying that?!"

"Okay, Heero. You walked slowly to her bed. Is that better?"

Heero growled. "It wasn't like that."

"You know Heero, whatever the hell BS reason you wanna give me for it, you're still the fucked up one. You're the one who *cheated* on me with Relena for God only knows how long, you're the one who made sure I was humiliated in front of all of my so-called friends and co-workers and then you're the one who added insult to fucking injury by requesting a new partner and making me look incompetent so that I eventually got fucking demoted." Duo glared at him hatefully. "God, *why* are you *here*?! I never wanted to see your fucking face again! Don't you understand that I fucking hate you?!" 

It felt like someone had knocked the wind out of him. That's how badly it hurt. He had always known, always figured, that Duo hated him for the ugly way their relationship had ended... but he thought that the scars would heal with time and the hurt would go away. In the past two years his own anger had faded and he had hoped that some day he and Duo could be friends again. Be close again. But now as he looked into Duo's eyes, eyes that shone with unshed tears, he knew that would never happen. 

"Fine. I'll be back when you're ready to talk rationally." It was amazing how steady his voice sounded, although he felt like screaming at Duo and making him understand that he truly was sorry for what had happened. He started for the window, figuring he would leave the same way he came, but at the last minute he looked back at Duo. 

One of his pale hands was gripping the edge of the vanity while he struggled to hold his cigarette with his trembling fingers. His long bangs were covering most of his face, but Heero could hear the sound of his harsh breathing. For some reason out of all the things he had found out tonight about Duo's new life, it hurt to see him like this the most.

-end- x_x


	3. Part Three

Warnings: Language, Mild Violence  
Disclaimer: If I owned Gundam Wing I'd be a lot richer than I am now  
Note: Sorry for making everyone wait for this chapter. All of your reviews pushed me to write it when I began to get lazy. ^^; Hopefully this chapter was worth it.*snuggles reviewers*   
And of course, I thank my wonderful beta Sunhawk for coherency and for just being great ^^  
The Game  
Part Three  
Walking out of a tense situation and knowing that you're going to have to eventually swallow your pride and face it again, really sucks. It ruins the dramatic exit, the poignancy of the final, parting words and it's just really embarrassing.  
  
Heero stood outside of the apartment building and sighed explosively. That had not gone well at all. He'd let all of his old feelings and frustrations get involved and things were worse than they had been before. He'd screwed up royally. The first mistake had been stepping in the ring with Duo and the last had been criticizing the man's lifestyle. Who the hell was he to judge anyway? He'd made many mistakes in his life, mistakes that had cost people their lives and mistakes that had ruined people's lives. He leaned against the side of the building and shoved his hands in his pockets. Duo was a prime example.  
  
Somewhere in the distance he heard shouting and then the sounds of a scuffle. His first instinct was to run over and investigate but he restrained himself. He knew as well as anyone that in a city like this, the streets had eyes and anything he did would be reported back to a higher power. If he ran around acting like the original crime-busting vigilante, there would be some serious doubts as to what he was doing in Chicago and why he was participating in The Game. His mission came before anything else that was currently going on; even his problems with Duo. It had nothing to do with the fact that he was following orders; but it had everything to do with putting a ruthless killer out of business and that came before anything.  
  
Out of the corner of his eye, Heero saw a slender figure make it's way out of a side door and stride down the street; keeping to the shadows all the while. Even if he hadn't seen the long, dangling braid he would have known it was Duo by the catlike grace that only he seemed to possess. Heero followed at a good distance but he knew that Duo had picked up on him as soon as he had left the door.   
  
He followed Duo for several blocks, still keeping his distance even when they moved to a more crowded section of the city. The area was not too far from The Meat Market and a long way from the nice, residential parts of Chicago. Many different kinds of people littered the streets but none of them looked exceptionally poor. Scruffy, yes... But poor? Not really. Heero recalled the research on New Chicago and Tech. He was cruel, cold blooded and killed for sport, but in a twisted way he helped the poor people of the city. If it wasn't for the fact that he gave them "jobs", they probably would have died long ago. Although every single one of the "jobs" he had them doing were illegal, they still made enough money to live off of.  
  
Tech operated swiftly, smoothly and made money off of everyone he didn't "provide for" as he liked to put it. He had the street gangs giving him 20% of their swag, local store owners and businesses gave him money for 'protection' from the local gangs and the politicians and law enforcement paid him to do the wet work that they couldn't afford to put their hands in. The last service was what had originally gotten him noticed by the Preventers. He'd been paid a pretty penny to knock off several high ranking politicians and when one of the remaining leaders of the Pacifist Movement had been murdered along with his wife and kids; Lady Une decided it was time to step in.  
  
Heero kept his hands in his pockets and watched as Duo entered a seedy looking bar called The BoilerMaker. He followed the other man in, not even bothering to be covert about it any longer, and looked around the dimly lit space. There was a bar with a scarred, wooden counter and matching stools lining the right side of the room. The left side was crowded with several tables and chairs, a few booths, a tiny dance floor of sorts and an ancient pinball machine. The place was extremely crowded and for a moment Heero had trouble spotting his prey, but he saw the familiar braid trailing after Duo's retreating back and he started forward once again.   
  
When they were face to face for the third time that day, Duo was slumped in a booth with a cigarette dangling between his lips and a waiting bottle of Absinthe with two brandy glasses nearby. Heero shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans uncomfortably and eyed the other man. He didn't want to be presumptuous and sit down if Duo was waiting for someone else but at the same time he needed to get a few things str--  
  
"Sit the fuck down, Yuy. You're making me nervous."  
  
Heero sat down.  
  
Duo eyed him calmly, smoke drifting from his nostrils lazily as it floated across the table towards Heero's face. They sat like that for a few moments, just staring at each other during a span of tense silence until Duo rolled his shoulders slightly. It was something he used to do all the time when he was nervous. The fact that Heero picked up on it pleased him for some odd reason. He still had some grasp on Duo's gestures and expressions; could still figure out what the other man was thinking just by looking at his body language.   
  
"You want a drink?"   
  
Heero's eyes dropped to the bottle and eyed the green liquid dubiously. "Isn't it illegal to drink this in the US?"  
  
Duo smirked around his cigarette and filled both glasses. "Not in Chicago, it ain't."  
  
Heero's hand clasped the glass and he brought it up to his nose; sniffing at it suspiciously. Duo laughed throatily and downed half of his glass easily. "C'mon Yuy, you can do better than that. Be a man and knock it back!"  
  
Heero glared at the murky alcohol hatefully; as if it were to blame for the position he was currently in. He knew that Duo liked to drink when he was in a tense situation. He also knew that Duo knew that he wasn't much of a drinker. It was pretty clear in his mind that unless he drank it, the other man probably wouldn't say a word. He wanted Heero nice and... Loose. He had always felt more confidant when Heero wasn't at his usual 110%; he felt less threatened.   
  
It was incredibly foolish to get drunk with someone who could possibly want him dead, but Heero didn't know what else to do. He had to talk to Duo. He had to make sure that his mission wasn't compromised by the other man's presense and even though they weren't anywhere near being on good terms, he had to find out why Duo was in a place like this. It was risky as hell.. but he was going to chance it. Besides... he owed it to Duo. He was lucky the longhaired man was giving him a chance at all, so he wasn't going to turn it down now.  
  
Seeing that he had no other choice if he wanted to have a civil conversation with his ex-lover, Heero downed the entire glass. He practically slammed it against the table when he was done and winced at the bitter taste. "That tastes like shit."  
  
Duo shrugged again and finished the rest of his before refilling both glasses. "That may be true, but it's strong and I want you drunk."  
  
Heero's eyebrow twitched as he stared at his refilled glass. "I'll play your game if you answer some questions. I'll be happy to answer any you have for me."  
  
Duo leaned back in his seat and swirled the liquid in his glass. "I don't have any questions for you."  
  
"None at all?" Heero asked with a raised brow.  
  
"Nope. I know why you're here." He took a long sip of the Absinthe. "You're on a mission to bring down Quinton Tech and the boss lady thinks getting in The Game is the easiest way to get to him."  
  
Heero nursed his drink and glared at the other man. "Maybe. Maybe not."  
  
Duo rolled his eyes. "Give me a break, Heero. I know damn well you didn't decide to come slumming in Chicago for no damn reason. I'm sure you were heartbroken when Barbie dumped you, but not enough to come street fighting in the ghetto."  
  
Anger flared inside of him and Heero drank the rest of his drink before refilling the glass himself. "I don't want to talk about Relena. There are bigger issues at hand here, so try to be professional for twenty fucking minutes so I can talk to you seriously."  
  
Duo's eyes practically lit up when he saw that he was getting to Heero. Alcohol always made his emotions so transparent. "Professional, huh? A professional what, exactly? I quit the Preventers two years ago."  
  
Heero slammed the glass on the table after knocking back another swallow. "Yeah and what the hell was that about, anyway? Leaving like that, worrying everyone--"  
  
"We're here to talk about business, remember Heero?" Duo cooed sweetly.  
  
The Japanese man grit his teeth in frustration. The alcohol was making his thoughts fuzzy. "You know why I'm here, Duo. Why are you here?"  
  
Duo's eyes slanted away and he took a long, what he thought was casual, drink. "Why shouldn't I be here? These are my kind of people, aren't they? Thieves, bums, derelicts.. The whole nine." He shrugged casually and plastered a fake smirk across his face. "Too many memories on L2 so I thought I'd start fresh as a bum somewhere else, and Chicago seemed to be the best place."  
  
Heero snorted and drank the rest of his glass before refilling again. "You are so full of shit."  
  
Duo glared at him hotly. "What the hell do you know about it?"  
  
"I know you think way more of yourself than that line of crap you just gave me. Stop trying to be a hard ass and tell me the truth."  
  
"Fuck you, Yuy," Duo spat coldly. "You know shit about me and even less about what I think. You don't even know me."  
  
Heero glared back. "Yeah, we just fucked for three years and I barely knew you, right?"  
  
"That's right," Duo snarled. "We. Just. Fucked."  
  
Heero flinched and sat up straight, realizing what Duo was insinuating with that remark. "That's not what I meant! It was more--"  
  
Duo shook his head quickly, and gripped the edge of the table with thin, scarred hands. "Just forget it, Yuy. We're not going there. If you want me to work with you, don't bring that shit up again. It'll just piss me off and there will be a sequel to that fight in The Cage."  
  
"What makes you think I want you to work with me?" Heero stared down his nose at Duo and hoped he looked as cold as he thought he did. He probably just looked drunk and foolish.  
  
Duo snorted. "Because I'm better at this undercover shit than you? Because I doubt you followed me all the way down here to reminisce about old times and drink alcohol that tastes like piss?"  
  
Heero opened his mouth to deny it, found that his brain couldn't form a coherent denial, and shut it. He settled for shrugging and saying "Hn."  
  
"So I guess you're wondering why I'm being all civil and stuff, right?" Duo asked shrewdly. He stared at Heero through narrowed, indigo eyes and raised one eyebrow.  
  
Heero thought about that and realized he hadn't been wondering anything except why he felt so fucked up from the Evil Green Liquor and why Duo looked as though he had been sipping tea for the whole time. He shrugged and decided that "Maybe" was a safe reply.  
  
"Because..." Duo trailed off for a moment. He shook his head slightly and pushed his fourth glass of Absinthe away. "Because I know you're taking down Tech and I can help you do it. Without me-- you're toast."  
  
Heero narrowed his eyes and leaned forward, swaying a bit as he moved. "Why would you want to take down the man you've been fighting for?"  
  
Duo's eyes hardened slightly. "I don't fight for anyone, Yuy. Let's get that straight right damn now. I fight in the cage because it's easy money for me to take out those scumbags who go to the Meat Market. Ain't none of them anything but rapists and murderers, so why the fuck should I care about killing 'em? Tech just happens to be the one sponsoring the fights. And as for why I'd wanna help take him down-- well that's just none of your damn business." He sat back, looking quite smug about the fact that he delivered the entire speech without slurring his words once.  
  
Heero nodded slowly, processing everything he had just heard. "And you and me..."  
  
"There ain't no 'you and me', Yuy. After Tech is finished, it's sayonara baby. You won't see me again."  
  
Heero frowned at that. He knew that was a bad thing but he couldn't remember why. He had to think about this some more after he got some rest. He felt suspiciously dizzy at the moment. "And you and me.." He stopped for a moment and remembered that there was no 'you and me'. "We will go over mission parameters..." He stopped again and squinted at the nearly empty bottle of Absinthe. "We'll talk about this more, tomorrow."  
  
Duo nodded and got to his feet unsteadily; shoving the bottle in one of his huge pockets. "Just remember... You an' me are finished. I don' wanna talk about it no more, ever. Got it? If you try any funny stuff, I'll kick your ass just on general principle. None of those soulful, vulnerable looks you be giving people when you wanna get yer way, got it? Not fallin' for that shit again. Rather die." By this time his words were so slurred it was hard to make out what he was saying. Well it was hard for Heero, anyway... but then again everyone sounded like they were talking under water at the moment.  
  
Heero grabbed the edge of the table and stood up, swaying slightly on his feet before he reprimanded himself for being such a lightweight drinker. "Got it." He spun around a little too fast and teetered dangerously before standing up straight. He squared his shoulders and began marching towards the backdoor. At this point he didn't think he'd make it to the front door without falling at least once and he was determined not to make a fool of himself in front of Duo. The man already had no respect for him as a friend or a partner. If he went around making a drunken idiot of himself, it would just make matters worse.  
  
He shoved through the dented, metal backdoor of the bar and stumbled a bit as he looked at the surrounding alley. It was dark, narrow and an extremely bad place for a paranoid ex-soldier to be strolling through when he was drunk off his ass. He moved forward slowly, eyes darting around as he took in all the doors and windows and places where a hostile party could easily jump at him. When he was about half-way down the dark path, he heard footsteps behind him. Even in his drunken state, he knew that it wasn't Duo. Duo walked silently and gracefully, the person behind him was lumbering down the alley noisily; making it obvious that he was either a bad pickpocket or a cocky thug.  
  
Heero turned around and dropped into a fighting stance, eyeing his assailant boredly. He immediately recognized the kid as one of the teenagers who had been sitting on the stoop near Duo's building. He had two more guys behind him and Heero knew that there was a fourth attacker somewhere nearby; he could feel their eyes on him. "What?" That single word made it obvious that Heero was rather unconcerned about the supposed odds and was just irritated at what he viewed as a slight inconvenience in his plan to go to his motel and sleep off the booze.  
  
The kid in the front, with the messy red hair and freckles, raised an eyebrow. "You sure got a lot of attitude for someone who's surrounded. I suggest you give me your wallet and whatever else you got under that fancy coat of yours."  
  
Heero sized each guy up quickly. "If you're going to attack me, just do it and shut the hell up." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he heard a door creak open at seven o'clock of his position. He spun around quickly, foot swinging out in a wide arc as the toe of his boot caught the fourth attacker in the jaw. His stomach churned violently at the motion, but he fought down the dizziness and nausea and ducked as the other three rushed at him as a pack.  
  
His fighting was sloppy and slow compared to his usual technique, but he was still better than them. An uppercut caught one of them hard in the face and a single kick to the groin sent the other crashing to the ground with a high pitched groan. However his senses were severely dulled by deadly alcohol he had been chugging and he heard the whooshing sound seconds too late. Before he could duck, a cheap move had him crashing to the ground as a brick slammed into the side of his head.  
  
The last thing he saw before he blacked out, was a single, silent figure leaping down from its perch on one of the many fire escapes and the sound of blows being exchanged as people fought. A drunken grin ghosted across his lips and Heero passed out with this single thought in mind: Maybe he doesn't hate me so much after all.   
****  
  
The smell of frying bacon woke Heero up, but he didn't bother opening his eyes as a searing pain coursed through the side of his head. He quickly evaluated the status of his body and came to the conclusion that he didn't have anything more than a hangover, a mild concussion and a shit load of cuts and bruises. He opened his eyes into slits and immediately snapped them shut when bright, blinding sunlight tried to penetrate his eyelids. Who's bright idea had it been to leave the shades open?  
  
That question immediately led to another. Where was he? He slogged through his memories of the previous day and quickly recalled his fight with Duo, their argument, their later decision to work together and to his mortification he remembered losing a fight to a bunch of punk kids and being saved by Duo. Just great.  
  
He took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he noticed was that he was lying in Duo's bed, in Duo's bedroom. The second thing he noticed was that there was a rather small child with huge eyes staring at him from a chair on the opposite side of the room. They made eye contact and stared at each other for a long moment. The first horrifying thought that crossed Heero's mind was that the child was Duo's. His eyes narrowed and he glared at the boy. "Who are you?"  
  
The kid hopped off the chair and waltzed over to him, plopping down boldly on the bed. "Duo told me to keep an eye on ya," he proclaimed proudly. "He said ta make sure you din' do nothin' stupid, like pullin' at the bandage on ya head."  
  
Heero noted for the first time that there was indeed, a bandage on the side of his head where he had been hit with the brick. He stared at the kid's mess of black curls and noted that they almost had the same eye color. "What else did Duo say?"  
  
Dark blue eyes rolled upward and one grubby finger tapped against his olive skin in a 'thinking' gesture. "He saaaid..." He drew out the word slowly. "...That you was a fuckin' asshole and that he shoulda just let ya die!"   
  
The words were spoken so brightly that for a moment, Heero didn't even process the fact that he had just been insulted. When it did process, he scowled darkly and sat up. He glared at the kid and yanked the bandage off of his head. "Thanks for the message," He growled and threw the sheet off of his body.  
  
The kid glared at the bandage and jumped off the bed. He and Heero engaged in an intense staring match for several moments before he dashed out of the room, hollering: "Duoo! The fuckin' asshole took his bandage off!"  
  
Heero got out of the bed and muttered darkly for several moments as he tried to ignore the throbbing in his brain. He still had his pants on, but he was bootless and shirtless. He spotted his coat in a pile on the floor in the corner and saw that his gun was resting on top of the vanity dresser. He scrubbed his hands over his face and took a long breath as he tried to get his bearings. Obviously Duo had calmed down some from the previous night, or he wouldn't have bothered treating Heero's wounds at all. That was comforting at least.  
  
He started out of the room and as he made his way up the hallway and towards what he figured was the kitchen; he heard snippets of conversation between Duo and the child.   
  
"Who is that guy, anyways? He's pretty weird lookin'," The boy was saying.  
  
Heero could hear Duo laughing. "Don't worry about it, Jules. I pay you to do your job, not ask questions about my visitors. How's Diane?"  
  
The little boy snorted. "Why you always askin' 'bout my mom? You better not be flirtin' with her when I'm not around or there'll be big *trouble*!"  
  
Duo laughed again and brushed off the statement. "Now you remember, buddy-- Give that money to your mother and only keep two dollars for yourself. If I find out you swindled me, I'll kick your little butt, got it?"  
  
There was an exaggerated sigh. "Yeah, yeah, I got it." The kid said in an exasperated tone.  
  
As Heero entered the kitchen he saw Duo walking Jules to the door. "Don't spend it all in one place or anything like that," Duo said cheerfully, knowing damn well that two dollars couldn't even buy a bag of chips these days.  
  
The kid gave Duo an annoyed looked and loped out the door. "Yeah, yeah... fuckin' cheapskate." He slammed the door shut behind him.  
  
Heero raised an eyebrow at the longhaired man. "What was that all about?"  
  
Duo's face immediately closed up and the slightly amused expression disappeared. "I give him money for bullshit jobs sometimes. He has too much pride to accept handouts so I invent shit for him to do. Call me a sucker."  
  
Heero shrugged and sat down at the breakfast nook. "Sucker."  
  
Duo made a face and turned back to the stove, where he was frying bacon and making scrambled eggs in the same pan. "Let's get something straight Yuy--"  
  
"We're not anything, not partners, friends or even acquaintances. I remember the whole spiel from last night," Heero snapped as he put his head in his hands and massaged his temples.  
  
Duo stiffened slightly but managed a shrug. "Good, I'm just making sure you remember, is all." He pulled the pan off the burner and dumped equal portions of food on the two plates he had set out. "I didn't cook you breakfast to be nice, just so you know. I just need you in working order if I'm going to help you take down Tech."  
  
Heero rolled his eyes. He was getting really irritated by the way Duo kept implying that he needed his help. He was a perfectly capable Level 8 Field Agent and he didn't need anyone's help for the task assigned him. "Well, the only reason I'm *letting* you help is because if you're not working with me, you'd just be in the damn way. And I still want an explanation as to why you're after Tech yourself."  
  
Duo shrugged and shoveled some eggs into his mouth. "Well you're going to be waiting for quite a long time then, buddy."  
  
"If you hate me so goddamn much, why the hell did you save my ass last night? You looked like you wanted to kill me yourself in The Cage, so why not let those punk kids do it for you?" The question was out of Heero's mouth before he could stop it, but he was getting frustrated with the other man.   
  
Duo began concentraing very hard on his plate. "Look Yuy, I'm angry at you, hell I used to hate your guts, but I don't want you dead. Yeah, yeah, I know what you're thinking. If I don't want you dead, why did I attack you like a freakin' animal in The Cage then, right? Well what the hell did you think was gonna happen!? I didn't expect to see you right then, it was a fuckin' shock and I got angry all over again and I just wanted you to be gone." The last couple of sentences were rushed out as if he were embarrassed about it. "Besides..." He smirked then. "If anyone's gonna kill you, it's gonna be me."  
  
Heero rolled his eyes. "Wishful thinking will get you nowhere, Maxwell." They lapsed into silence after that and Heero could tell that Duo was very uncomfortable about the fact that they were semi getting along. Heero wasn't going to push the discussion any further but he had caught Duo's slip up when he said that he "used to hate" Heero. The revelation that he didn't hate him anymore, was extremely pleasing.   
  
Heero bit into one of the crisp slices of bacon and mulled over the information he had been given since the previous day. He was on the right track so far but Duo was definitely a wild card and he couldn't trust that the man was being completely honest with him. They hadn't seen each other in two years and Duo had made it quite obvious that he was holding something, maybe more than one thing, back. Heero didn't like surprises and he liked them even less when they were from someone he couldn't trust. He looked up at Duo and was disturbed to see that the man was staring at him with a peculiar expression on his face. As soon as their eyes met, Duo looked away and his face drifted into blank indifference. Heero knew the expression well.  
  
"Do you have anything to drink?"   
  
Duo looked at him, startled by the sudden question. He eyed Heero for a moment and pulled a bottle from the cupboard above the stove. He plopped it down in front of Heero and smirked. "Drink up, Heero-Boy."  
  
Heero stared in horror at the bottle of Absinthe and noted that there was just enough for two drinks. "I'd rather dehydrate and die."  
  
Duo grinned and pulled the cap off, downing a large swallow of the liquor easily. "I can't wait."  
  
The Japanese man stabbed at his eggs hatefully. This was going to be a long mission.  
-TBC-  
AN - I know realistically, they'd be more drunk than they were.. but I'm figuring in the whole "Gundam pilot, high tolerance to stuff" theory. *shrug* 


	4. Part Four

Warnings: Language, Adolescent OCs, Some Angst  
  
Disclaimer: I have nothing, I own nothing  
  
NOTE: Paragraphs betweem ======= are FLASHBACKS. It might get a little confusing but for some reason  
  
FFN wont let me post .docs or .html files so I can't use italics for some reason. I dislike this  
  
service greatly at times.  
  
The Game  
  
Part Four  
  
"We need to go over the plan."  
  
"What's there to go over?"  
  
"There's a lot to go over."  
  
"Pfft. Infiltrate, stay alive, get the dirt on Tech, find out where he's crashing, who's guarding him, get in, kill 'im, get out. Simple."  
  
Heero began to massage his temples as he glowered at the other man. "Okay, it's not going to be that simple, you realize that, right?"   
  
Duo rolled his eyes and lit a cigarette as he lounged on one of the stools at the breakfast nook. "Of course not. There's bound to be a few kinks here and there, but it's nothing I can't handle."  
  
"'A few kinks'? Duo. We will possibly have to fight each other and we will definitely have to fight other people before we get to him. That's more than 'a few kinks'."  
  
Duo exhaled smoke and eyed Heero. "We'll get to that when it comes to it. For now just tell me what you think you know about The Game."  
  
Heero sat back and folded his hands in front of him. "The Game is sponsored by Quinton Thomas, alias Quinton Tech, founded in AC--"  
  
Duo waved a hand to cut him off. "I don't want a fuckin' history lesson here. Just give me the stats on The Game. Who's gonna be there, what kind of security Tech has, how many people go and so on."  
  
"Several key players of the criminal underground attend The Game each year, but we were not able to obtain a credible list of who will be in attendance this year. The Game is big in the underground but only the most elite are allowed to place 'official' bets and collect winnings. The Game goes on for days and consists of no more than fifty of the best street fighters in the world, chosen by each of the players."  
  
Duo raised an eyebrow. "Is that all you have?"  
  
Heero raised an eyebrow in return. "What does that mean?"  
  
"Okay, first of all what the hell was Une thinking sending you here alone? Is she fuckin' going batty again or what?"  
  
"Trowa, Wufei and I are the only ones qualified for this mission and sending three ex-Gundam pilots to The Game is very risky. It is common knowledge that we are Preventers now and it is more likely that three of us would be discovered before one of us would. There will be Preventers stationed on the Island but they will not be participating in the actual game. When I have Tech in custody I'll be contacting them."  
  
Duo shook his head. "Obviously you people don't know what the hell you're getting in to. First of all, Tech is always surrounded by a squad of goons, even when he's in the box watching the fights. He's practically untouchable and if you go in there trying to be all bad ass flashing your gun and a badge, you're just gonna get shot. The Island is a zoo during The Game and it's confusing as hell to find anyone unless you know who you're looking for and where you're going. Lowlifes from all over the world come to watch and place their own little bets with each other. All kinds of shit goes on there and unless you're prepared, you're gonna be overwhelmed. The fighters go after each other even when they aren't in The Cage and if you're a favorite, you better be fucking armed at all times cuz you're gonna be on the hit list of every other fighter and betting man on the island."  
  
Heero's eyebrows knotted and he folded his arms over his chest. "How did you get this information?"   
  
"The Preventers can get their official reports all nice and typed but the street talks and will brag to anyone willing to listen if they think you're one of them. It's the best way to get information cuz you're talking to people who were really there and who really know what's going on." Duo smirked and put his cigarette out in the glass astray that sat near his arm. "So, you still think you're all cocky with your cute little plan and mission outline?"  
  
A low growl escaped Heero's throat and he shoved the empty plate away from him. He was getting angry. Angry because his information had been inadequate, angry because his plan was shot to hell and angry because Duo was making him feel like an idiot. "What do you suggest?" He snapped. "We just go in there and play it by ear? Is that what you want me to do?"  
  
"That's exactly what I want to do, because we won't know exactly what we're getting into until we see it with our own eyes. How were you planning to get there?"  
  
"Wufei wanted me to travel there with the other agents at first but we decided that it was too risky. I was planning to take public transportation, unless you have a better idea."  
  
Duo thought for a moment. "I can get a car and we can drive there, then there's a boat that takes us to Hart Island on the first day of The Game."  
  
Heero raised an eyebrow. "Get a car?"  
  
Duo smirked. "I don't steal everything, you know! Not anymore, anyway. I know a guy. He hooks me up from time to time."  
  
"Uh huh," Heero said dubiously.   
  
Duo hopped off the stool and began stacking dishes in the sink. "Don't worry about people seeing us together; fighters often form alliances with each other even though 9 out of 10 times, they stab each other in the back in the end." He smirked at Heero. "You should know about that."  
  
Heero ignored the comment. "I wasn't worried about that in the first place. According to one of the house keepers, I'm 'your type' so people will probably assume that we are lovers." He watched Duo, waiting to see his reaction and wasn't disappointed.  
  
Duo's back stiffened and he spun around; glaring at Heero for all he was worth. "Well people can think whatever the hell they want, but I'm not pretending to be your fucking lover."  
  
"The thought never crossed my mind."  
  
Duo glared at him for a long time before he turned back to the dishes. He had a peculiar expression on his face but Heero didn't know if was a disappointed expression or an annoyed one, or both. Maybe he wasn't as good at reading Duo as he remembered. There was an uncomfortable silence and Duo finished washing the dishes before he sat down again. "I just want to make something clear, Yuy. When we get a hold of Tech, he's mine and if you have a problem with that, I suggest you say so now, because we can go our separate ways right now."  
  
Heero stared at him for a moment before answering. "Why do you want him dead? If you want this to work out, you need to tell me. I need to be able to trust you."  
  
"You don't need to know that. All you need to know, is that the fucker is mine. All you need to do is trust me to get the job done and you know I'm more than capable of taking out a few scumbags."  
  
"What's he got on you? What's he done to you? You need to tell me, Duo." Heero leaned forward so that their faces were inches apart. "I'm here for you, whatever it is." Their eyes locked and for a moment, uncertainty was visible on Duo's face. His adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed convulsively and his eyes flickered over Heero's face as if he were searching for a sign that he really could confide in the man. "Just trust me, Duo. Please."  
  
The uncertainty faded and a bark of laughter escaped Duo's throat and he stared at the other man incredulously. "Trust you? You're kidding, right? The only thing I trust about you, Yuy, is that you won't stab me in my sleep and even that is kind of shaky considering all those death threats you delivered during the war." There was silence for several moments and the tension in the room was practically tangible.   
  
Heero sat back in his chair and cleard his throat, trying to ignore the disappointment that coursed through him. "You can't kill him."  
  
"The *hell* I can't," Duo retorted.  
  
"You're not a Preventer anymore. You're a civilian."  
  
"So say you did it. I don't mind if you take the credit."  
  
"I don't shoot unless shot at."  
  
"So tell them he had a fucking gun, for God's sake. Jesus Christ, Heero use some imagination here!"  
  
"Unacceptable."  
  
Duo stood up and the stool scraped against the linoleum. "You don't get to tell me what to do, Yuy. You're not my superior officer and you never were. I don't give two shits about your badge and you know it."  
  
"You know Duo, you're lucky I don't haul your ass in right now with all the stuff you've been doing in the past two years. Don't push your luck with me because I'm running out of patience."   
  
A slow smirk crept up on Duo's impish features. "Oh stuff it, Heero. The only time you'd cuff me is if it's to your bed and you're practicing your little bondage fetish." A flush slowly made its way up Heero's neck and Duo laughed out loud. "Thought I forgot about that, didn't you?"  
  
Heero glared at the other man and didn't deign to answer.  
  
"Does Relena let you tie her up?" Duo wondered.  
  
The Japanese man nearly choked. "That's enough, Duo."  
  
He shrugged, faking indifference and turned his back on Heero. "Oh, sorry. I should have known better than to talk about the Princess in such a way. You have my humblest apology." He muttered bitterly.  
  
Heero sighed inaudibly. "Duo..."  
  
"Well anyways, you're staying here until we leave." Duo said hurriedly, determined to cut off whatever Heero had been about to say.   
  
Dark blue eyes regarded the other man incredulously. "There's no reason for that. I have a place, a --"  
  
"A motel, yeah I know the place. It's a real shithole. You're staying here."  
  
Heero flattened his palms on the counter and leaned towards Duo. "You don't take orders from me and I don't take orders from you. The motel is perfectly adequate and there is no reason for me to stay here; all it will do is draw unnecessary attention from people and make the situation increasingly uncomfortable for both of us."  
  
"I didn't say you were sleeping in my bed so calm the hell down. I don't trust you, Yuy and I want you where I can see you. I'm sure you feel the same way about me since you probably have it in that head of yours that I'm up to a bunch of no good shit just because I'm not playing confession and telling you every single thing I've been doing lately. Besides, it's more likely that we'll get 'unnecessary attention' if we're traveling all over Chicago to meet up; especially since the Meat Market is near the motel you're staying in. Not only that-- but any dickhead knows that the walls of motels have ears and it's not safe to talk there. I tell you-- you Preventers must be getting sloppy because this is the shoddie--"  
  
"Shut up, Duo." Heero began massaging his temples again. "This is a difficult mission and I knew that when I took it. The informants we had were obviously defective or misinformed and it's very hard to get accurate information on people who don't legally exist; who don't have any government records or information."  
  
Duo crossed his arms over his chest. "Well... I'm not trying to say that the plan was all bad, it's just that you're missing a lot of crucial details that could make or break t--why the hell am I reassuring you?" He shook his head in disbelief. "You staying or what?"  
  
"Not if you're going to be an asshole for the entire time."  
  
"What does *that* mean?"  
  
"If you're not going to be focused and if you plan to badger me about the past through the whole mission, I'd prefer to stay where I am. I don't want to hear your sarcastic comments or whatever you have to say about Relena. What happened between she and I, is between she... and I. It's no one else's business and it has nothing to do with Tech, this mission or you."   
  
Duo clenched his jaw and shrugged stiffly. "Whatever you say, man. No one else is on this floor so we can talk freely. Take the spare bedroom down the hall, but I warn you, the furniture in it is used... including the bed. So if you wake up with a rash on your dic--"  
  
"I get the picture," Heero cut him off with a roll of his eyes. He stood up and looked at the neon green numbers on the microwave clock. To his surprise two hours had already passed and they hadn't seriously argued for the entire time. "I'm going to have to retrieve my belongings from the motel."   
  
Duo smirked and stood up. "Ah... that's being taken care of as we speak."  
  
Heero's eyebrows knotted and just as he opened his mouth to question that statement, someone banged loudly on the front door and an adolescent voice yelled: "Duo! Open the fricken' door already! This crap is heavy!" Duo shrugged innocently at Heero's narrow eyed expression and gestured at the door, indicating that he should go open it. Heero stood up slowly and eyed the other man suspiciously. The grumbles and complaints behind the door grew louder and finally the Japanese man walked over and flung it open.  
  
Jules and two other ragamuffins stumbled in. All of them were extremely scrawny and they were all laden with heavy looking duffle bags. The boys dropped the bags as soon as they stepped foot in the door and something clattered loudly as the bottom struck the floor. One of the boys looked up sheepishly. "Whoops! Ya didn't tell me there was fragile stuff in there..." He trailed off when he saw the murderous look that Heero was sending in his direction.  
  
"Who the hell gave you permission to touch my things?!" His head snapped around and he glared at Duo angrily. "My laptop, my tools... my weapons! You let children handle weapons?! Are you out of your mind?" He knelt down and began rifling through his bags as if to see if anything was missing or broken.   
  
"Children!?" The tallest one sputtered angrily. He put his hands on bony hips and glared at Heero for all he was worth; pale blue eyes flashing. "I resent that! I was hustling before I could even walk!"  
  
Duo snorted softly at that and went to help Heero with the bags. "Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration, Jimmy?"  
  
Jimmy scowled at them and crossed his arms over his black t-shirt. "My ma used to sew bags of Nitro into my diaper when the feds raided our apartment," He said sullenly.   
  
Jules rolled his eyes and toed one of the bags with his sneaker. "That's cuz your ma is a fricken' crackhead." He stopped toeing the bag when Heero practically growled at him.  
  
Jimmy glared daggers at the other boy before smirking meanly. "At least she ain't a piece of ass like *your* ma."  
  
Jules' back went ramrod straight and he looked about ready to pounce on the larger boy, when the quietest of the three grabbed the back of his t-shirt and held him back easily. "Both of you shut the hell up." He glared at his friends from under a messy fringe of bangs. "Now." The other boys shot each other dirty looks but instantly fell silent. "Sorry about your stuff, Mister. We didn't do nothin' but put it in the bags and haul it out." The apparent leader of the trio said to Heero.  
  
Duo waved the apology off before Heero could comment. "Don't worry about it, kiddo. He'll just blame me for whatever damage you did anyway." Heero shot him a look that clearly stated that he would be doing just that.  
  
"I have a name, you know." The kid muttered in an annoyed fashion.   
  
"I know, kiddo," Duo said teasingly as he hoisted the heaviest bag onto his shoulder and began carrying it down the hall. Heero shook his head and carried the last two bags easily as he followed Duo to the spare room. He was still visibly irritated.  
  
"I know your name, Smithie," Jules offered helpfully.  
  
"Suck up," Jimmy muttered.  
  
"Hey, you guys can get the hell out now," Duo said with no little amount of amusement in his tone. "Heero hasn't ripped my head off yet so I'm guessing you didn't break anything."  
  
Smithie raised an eyebrow and held out one hand. "Pay up."  
  
"And none of that two dollar jip business, either!" Jules put in.  
  
Once again, Heero walked in just as Duo was walking them to the door. He was extremely annoyed at Duo but he didn't want to argue with the man in front of the kids. He leaned against the doorframe and watched as they joked back and forth. Duo's face began to soften and his eyes began to shine with genuine amusement and good cheer. The angry scowl was nowhere to be seen and for the first time since their reunion, he looked like his old self.  
  
Heero remembered when he was the one who could put that sparkle in Duo's eyes; when he was the one who could make him happy. Now... now all he did was bring the longhaired man bad memories and anger. As he stood and watched, he began to feel less irritated and more wistful. Wistful and empty. When he had foolishly lost Duo... he had lost a part of his heart forever and now, now Duo was within reach but it was obvious by the way he acted with Heero, all guarded and angry, that things would never be the same.   
  
"Do you treat all your friends like this?" Jimmy was complaining as Duo closed the door. "Nope!" The older man responded with a grin. "Only the special ones!"  
  
========  
  
His lips curled into a sly smile and Duo leaned forward; extending his finger and nudging it between Heero's parted lips. "Eat up," He cooed teasingly.  
  
Heero regarded the other boy through half opened eyes and licked the digit clean. "Is this how you treat all your food tasters?"  
  
Duo laughed and his eyes twinkled as he gazed fondly at his lover. "Nope. Only the special ones," he murmured and leaned in for a kiss.  
  
========  
  
Heero blinked and shook his head slightly. He didn't need to be remembering these things now. He didn't need to be *thinking* these things now. He was supposed to be professional, all business with no feelings or strings attached.   
  
Duo sighed and leaned against the closed door; all humor seemed to be drained out of him. "Is all your shit intact?" He asked somewhat wearily.   
  
"Yeah." Heero cleared his throat. "I'm going to go shower, if that's okay with you."  
  
"What, you're not going to rip me a new one? Tell me what a fuck up I am for letting innocent little babies carry around guns?"   
  
"You just said all that needs to be said." Heero said flatly. Duo winced but Heero couldn't bring himself to feel bad. He didn't care if these kids had been to hell and back; Duo knew better than that.   
  
"Smithie will be sixteen in a few months and Jimmy isn't too far behind him. Jules is the youngest but I really fucking doubt that Smith let him handle any weapons. Knowing you, they were in cases anyway so I don't see what the big damn deal is. We were blowing shit up when we were younger than they are now. You just look for any excuse to come down on me, don't you?"  
  
Heero sighed and wiped a hand across his face; keeping his back to Duo. "Think whatever you want, Duo. I don't feel like arguing anymore." He didn't wait to hear the snappy comebacks or angry retorts; he just wanted to clean up and get some rest.   
  
He continued on his way to the bathroom and after he was completely stripped of the uncomfortable pants, he got in the shower and let the surprisingly strong spray wash over his body. He was sore as hell and covered with old sweat and dried blood. The hot water was doing wonders for him at the moment. He pressed his palms flat against the wall and hung his head as the water slid over his body. This was so frustrating; everything was when it came to Duo. He still managed to say all the wrong things to the longhaired man and every time they seemed to make some kind of headway, the anger and the bitterness crept out and everything went downhill. He tried to tell himself that it wasn't professional and that he should just think about the mission, the plan... but they weren't in wartime anymore and he knew that the more he ignored it, the more it would bother him.  
  
He closed his eyes and let memories and emotions wash over him with the water. Things had been so good between them, once upon a time. They had been best friends and lovers, they had shared so many things and then Heero had screwed it up. Screwed it up because he was stupid and confused and just a kid at heart.  
  
=========  
  
"Heero! You home? Sorry about dropping in unexpectedly but I left some files here the other day!" Duo's voice called from the foyer.  
  
Heero's heart stopped and he shot the closed, bedroom door a panicked look. "Shit!" He jumped out of the bed and began yanking on his pants as his heartbeat started again at a sickeningly fast tempo.   
  
Relena looked up at him in confusion. "What's wrong with you? Why does he still have a key?" She reached for her bra, which had fallen on the floor and started to get out of the bed, but the door burst open.  
  
"Heero, you--" The sentence trailed off and Duo froze in the doorway. Stunned indigo eyes slowly took in Heero's panicked expression and unzipped pants, Relena's naked form and finally, the messy bed. He blinked several times and shook his head slightly. "What the.. What the fuck?"  
  
"Duo--"   
  
"What the fuck is this!?"  
  
Relena stared at him and a horrified expression slowly appeared on her face as realization set in. "You didn't tell him!?" She yelled at Heero.  
  
Heero stared at both of them helplessly and opened and closed his mouth several times. "Duo I--"  
  
"Holy shit," Duo uttered, it came out strangled sounding and pained. "Time apart, huh? Time my fucking ass!" He snarled and spun on his heel, storming out the bedroom door.  
  
"Duo!" Heero shouted after him and started to run forward, but Relena grabbed his arm. "You said he knew! You said he knew and he understood! How could you do this, Heero?!"  
  
Heero stared at her with wild eyes and yanked his arm out of her grasp. "Later," He growled and ran out the door, just catching Duo as he got into the elevator. He stood in the way of the door as it started to close and stared at his partner desperately. "Please listen to me, Duo--"  
  
The longhaired man looked furious. His face was twisted into a hateful mask and his eyes were glittering in the dangerous way they used to during the war. His breath was coming fast and hard and his eyes were red rimmed. "Get the fuck away from me, you son of a bitch."  
  
"I didn't know how to tell you! Godammit, Duo just listen to me!"  
  
"How long have you been fucking her?"  
  
Heero shook his head and raked a hand through his hair. "What!?"  
  
Duo's hands clenched into fists. "How long have you been fucking her and then spending the night with me? All those times you had to stay at the office late, all of those bullshit body guard missions, it was all a fucking lie, wasn't it?!"  
  
"I--"  
  
"WASN'T IT?!"  
  
"It wasn't like that; if you'd just listen to me-- I can explain!"  
  
"Explain what, Heero?! What the fuck is there to explain?! You could have at least been... been man enough to tell me."  
  
Heero slammed his fist into the wall. "I tried to tell you!" He roared in frustration.  
  
"What an idiot, I was," Duo went on as if Heero hadn't said anything. "I trusted you, I actually fucking *trusted* you. I thought I fucking *loved* you. I knew... I always knew.."  
  
Heero stared at him disbelievingly "You never told me!"  
  
Duo was shaking now, his eyes were moist and his lips were trembling. "Get away from me, Heero. I'm warning you," He whispered softly, bowing his head and allowing his bangs to cover his eyes as he let loose a shuddering sigh.  
  
"Duo--" He started to reach for the other man, but Duo exploded into a flurry of motion and his fist slammed into Heero's face. Heero fell backwards and landed on his back.  
  
"I SAID GET AWAY FROM ME!" Duo screamed and stared at the fallen man with tearful, angry eyes. He slammed his fist against the close button.  
  
Relena ran into the hall just as the elevator doors slid shut and she took in the scene before her. She looked down at her lover and shook her head sadly. "Oh Heero... what have you done?"  
  
Heero looked up at her with dazed, sad eyes. "I... I don't know."  
  
=========  
  
Heero slammed a hand against the shower wall in anger. What had he been thinking? How could he have betrayed him like that? What an idiot he had been...  
  
=========  
  
The door slammed open and smashed against the wall; glass shattering as an enraged ex-Gundam pilot appeared in the entrance. "You bastard!"  
  
Everyone looked up and stared at Duo. "Agent Maxwell this is highly inappropriate and--" Noin started but Duo cut her off with a venomous look.   
  
"So first I'm not good enough to keep you from fucking that bitch and now I'm not good enough to be your partner?!"  
  
Heero stared at him with an unfazed expression on his face. "I can't trust you to watch my back anymore. I can't have a partner that I can't trust."  
  
Duo stared at him in disbelief, looking even more betrayed than he had that night several weeks ago. "That's real funny coming from you."  
  
=========  
  
"You wanted to see me?"  
  
"It's about Agent Maxwell." Une sat behind her desk, the ultimate picture of professionalism as she watched her best agent grimace.  
  
"What did he do now?" Heero asked in a voice that was more disgusted than anything else. Duo had become a real screw up after they had broken up. Couldn't keep a partner, couldn't stay out of trouble, couldn't--  
  
"He's missing."  
  
Heero's eyes narrowed. "What?"  
  
"As you know, he stopped coming to work last week. I had Agent Donald and Agent Drake stop by his apartment last night and they said it looks as if Duo just picked up and left. Apparently nothing had been touched in more than a week. He left no clues as to where he was going and his bank account has not been touched."  
  
"He could just be blowing off steam, you know how Duo I---"  
  
"He's gone, Heero."  
  
=========  
  
After Duo disappeared, Heero had been really messed up. Angry at the world, surlier than ever and in an extreme state of regret and downheartedness. The Preventers had searched for Duo for months before finally giving up, and when they did, Heero had fallen into an even deeper depression. It had served to drive a permanent wedge between him and Relena and that's actually when things had started to go downhill. He knew now that things could never work out between the two of them and that they could be nothing more than good friends. Sleeping with her had been one of the biggest mistakes of his post-war life... and it had ruined them all.   
  
Heero opened his eyes and raked a hand through his wet hair. In a sudden moment of clarity it finally set in that Duo Maxwell, the man he had been in love with for years and the man he had dreamed about for the past two, was really in the next room. He was really here, really alive and he was as breathtaking as ever. All of the practiced speeches that Heero had prepared in the early months of Duo's disappearance came rushing back and suddenly he had a renewed hope; a renewed drive to make things right. He didn't care if they never got back to the way they used to be, but if he could make the light that used to brighten Duo's eyes come back... that would be enough.  
  
TBC  
  
AN: I really dislike this chapter. *cough* 


End file.
